30 October, 2006

It may seem like a minor thing, but saddle covers have been on my mind. I really don't care for the Brooks saddle cover. It's too loose, it's not totally waterproof, and it wrinkles and slides around when you try to ride on it. If that wasn't bad enough, it has "BROOKS" written on it in huge letters. It might as well say "Steal My Saddle".

I remember a nice Italian saddle cover I had in my youth. It was a perfect fit due to being stretchy. It was waterproof, and it had no logos. This is a saddle cover that would not only protect my expensive leather saddle from rain, but also from thieves when I had to leave my bike in a dodgy area.

We now have those Italian saddle covers in stock. They only cost $6.50 and they fit most saddles, even the B-17. But they won't fit the big Brooks city bike saddles.

The VAR bike stands are all gone and I'm not sure if I can get more. The VAR tool kits have also been flying out the door and there are only a few left from the second shipment.

We should have the Swedish Quicker Pro pumps in stock is a few days. These are said to be the hands-down best mini-pumps ever made. They won the recent Velo News pump test as well as a bunch of tests in Europe.

I'm also looking for a good floor pump to stock. Since my 30 year old Silca track pump is still going strong that may be the one. Anybody have other suggestions.

7 comments:

neil m berg
said...

I have a weakness for anything Brooks, which includes two of the Challenger bags. Fair warning: With time the wrap stitching will begin to unravel. A little super glue on the thread will prevent it. It's a bitch to fix once it starts.

The Quicker Pro pumps will be around $30. That's not cheap, but it is supposed to be very efficient and well made. In the test I read it reached 100psi in 100 strokes while the next best pump took 200 and the other 18 models required 300-500 strokes. It also pumps enough volume to work well with mountain bike tires. I'll post some photos and details after I try it a few times.

Velo Orange - What is the brand of the Italian saddle covers you are referring to in this post? I realize it was posted over 6 years ago so things change. We just bought Brooks seats and are looking for covers that work and it seems like the Brooks saddle covers get mixed reviews.